Grain-car door



Oct. 22, 1929. c; CQVERSTQN 1,732,966

GRAIN CAR DOOR Filed Nov. 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l gmaawam INVENTOR ATTOR N EY Oct. 22, 1929. E. c. COVERSTON GRAIN cm noon Filed Nov. 18, 1927 2 Shoots-Shee 2 INVENTOR ATTORN EY IT c-f--" 4w 4 z a w Patented Get. 22, lfillg EUGENE C. COVERSTON, F WAUKEGAI T, ZLLINOIS GRAIN CAB DOOR Application filed November 18, 1927. Serial No. 234,247.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in grain car doors and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

Among the several objects of the invention is to provide a simple and expeditious rangement of parts for releasably latching 0 and re-enforcing the door of a grain car in door closing position, thereby to prevent the usual buckling or sagging of the door by reason of weight thereon.

A still further object of the on is to incorporate in a grain car or the like a door which may be easily and readily moved from and into door closing position.

A still further object of the invention resides in the simple and expeditious manner for manually moving a door of a grain car or the like from and into door closing position.

A. still further object of the invention is incorporate in a grain car or the like a door which will be durable and possess suffici nt strength to withstand load applied thereto.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which: 7

1 is a fragmentary side view of a grain car showing certain portions in section to illustrate the association of my in'iproved door in position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 22 of 'Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the same taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. i is a fragmentary sectional detail view of a grain car or the like showing my improved door and mechanism for operating the door associated therewith;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail View taken substantially on line 55-55 of Fig. 4c; and I 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail View taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fi 4E.

eferring more particularly to the draws, a grain car is fragmentarily indicated 55 10 and this grain car includes side walls 11 in which are formed door openings 12 normally closed by doors 13. This door 13 is of the slidable type and a structural unit 1 iis provided on the inside surfaces of the 60 walls 11 to Wide a chamber 15 into which the door 13 is adapted to be moved from door 01- sing position. The door includes an tri s 10 extension bar 16 which is disposed under a door plate 1'? included as a part of the floor 18 of the car. Suspended from the floor plate 1? is a carriage plate 19 cooperating with the i 20 of the side walls 11 to support shafts 21 disposed opposite end portions of the plate 19. A bracket 22 is suspended from the floor 18 and this bracket provides bearings which cooperate with the apron. 20 to support shafts 2 1-. Mounted on the shafts are drums 25. The flanges 26 of those drums have secured or otherwise formed thereon 2'? which operatively mesh with a gear 28 mounted upon a sleeve 29 rotatably supported between the aprons 20 of the side walls 11. Mounted on the shafts 21 are pulleys 30 and paid over these pulleys SO are suitable cables 31 and 82. The end 38 of the cable 81 is secured to the extension. 16

as at 34 and the end 35 of the cable 32 is secured as at 36 to the e ge 3? of the door The opposite end portions of the cables 31 and 32 are lined to the drums 25 whereby upon rotation of these drums 25 the ends of the cable will alternately wind and unwind on the drums whereby to move the door from door closing position into the chamber 15, and then back into door closing position.

The means for rotating the drums to urge the cables l and. 32 to slide the door from and into door closing position includes an operating shaft 88 comprisi a plurality of 95 sections 39 pivotally connectoc together at 40 and adapted when in aligned position with respect to each other to be confined in the sleeve 29. The end section 41 01 the sections 39 provides an enlarged head a2 which abuts Prv a bearing sleeve 43 whereby to limit outward movement 01" the shaft 38. The opposite end section 441 of the shaft 38 is provided with a loop 45. This loop provides a handle where by the sections may be pulled outwardly from the sleeve 29 to dispose the two outer end sections 46 to the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 6 to provide a crank or handle whereby rotation of the sleeve may be brought about. The sections 39 are each formed substantially square in cross section to fit in the square shaped opening of the sleeve 29. The loop further serves to limit inwardly movement 01" the shaft 38. By this arrangement it will be seen that by pulling the sections outwardly of the sleeve a handle will be provided whereby to rotate the sleeve 29 to impart rotation to the drums 25 an l i moving the sections back into the slce the sections 46 which provide the handle will be concealed from view. On the sleeve there uJ is provided a ratchet wheel 42'? and adapted to engage the teeth of this ratchet wl l. is a pawl 48 pivotally carried as atli) by a disk 50 arranged in a recess 51 in the side wall ll. This pawl when in engagement with the ratchet wheel will prevent rotation of the sleeve and if necessary the pawl may be connected to the loop by a wire member 52 of the usual'type now commonly used to connect the hasps of a door of a freight car together and which wire is commonly known as a sealing wire.

To prevent undue banging of the door when moved to closing position I provide a bumper structure 53. This bumper structure includes a housing 5% having an elongated opening 55 in its edge 56 fac ng the dour and projecting through this open 0 eno'agen'ient with the edge 57 of the door 13 rii 58 formed as a part of a bumper y eldably urged toward the door by means of springs (30 having their end portions mounted to embrace studs 61.

It is necessary, when a consi-rlerable load is deposited in a grain car or the like to provide suflicient bracing means to prevent the door from buckling or sagging by reason of the load applied thereto. In this eonnectii a; I provide a simple means for preventii this buckling or sagging and in the prercrrcd form of construction this means includes a t v se bar (32 carrying on its door racing side rollers 6% whereby to lessen friction between this bar and the door when the door is moved from and into door elos' g po i tion. The end portion oil the bar projects into recesses 66 formed in the side ja nbs 67 of the door opening. Arranged in these recesses are vertically extending rods 68 these rods 68 are passed through openings 69 formed in the end portion of the bar 62 whereby to provide slidable connection between the bar and the side jambs. The bar 62 is normally urged toward the upper end portion of the door by means of springs 69 embracing the lower end portions of the rods. By this arrangement the bar will be yieldably positioned to bring the rollers 6 into contact with the upper portion of the door which 1'6. ceives the greatest load. Associated with this bar (32 is means for releasably latching the bar in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 and in the present instance this means includes links 70 and 71 bound together by means of a turn buckle 72 whereby the links may be adjusted relatively to each other. The outer end portions of the links 70 provide 7 3 which are adapted to bear against the rods 68. The end por ions 74 of the links 71 are bent substantially at right angles with respect to the remaining portions or these link members and projected through openings 75 formed in an operating plate 76. This operating plate 76 is pivotaily supported by a bearing 77 carried the bar 62. The plate 7 8 is adapted to be manually rocked by means of a suitable handle 7 8. The top edge or" the bar 62 provides suitable bearings 79 for the end portions of the links 70. By rocking the plate 7 6 the bars will be moved inwardly toward each other to release the bearing relation between the jaws 7 3 and rods 68. When the plate 76 is in substantial alinement with the links 70 and 71 the jaws 73 will be wedged against the rod 68 whereby to latch the bar 62, in the position illustrated in Fig. 1.

The lower end portions of the recesses 66, in order to prevent the admission of dust or the like have their open sides closed by suitable plates 80. I

A. handle 81 is secured to the bar 62 to facilitate movement of the bar in a proper larged lower edge 86 of the door 13..

The door 13 is slidably supported upon spaced rollers 82 mounted upon the pins 83 supported by a plate 84 providing at its upper end portion a groove 85 receiving the enlarged lower edge 86 of the door 13;

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that a grain car door is provided which will withstand the usual strain applied by the load and that the doo'r'may be expeditiously moved from and into door closing position.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details or construction set fortln but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope or" the appended claims. 7

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: I

1. In combination, a door'of a freight car,

means for bracing the upper end portion of said door, said means including rod members confined in recesses formed in the side jambs oi the door opening of said freight car, link members disposed in opposed relation with respect to each other and having their outer ends provided with jaws adapted to bear against said rod members, a bracing bar having its opposite end portions connected for slidable movement with respect to said rod members and carrying elements bearing against said door, means pivotally carried by said member and connecting the link members together, and a member for pivotsaid means to move said link members to dispose said jaws into and from bearing engagement with said rod members.

2. In combination, a door of a freight car, means for bracing the upper end portion. of said door including rod members confined in recesses in the side jambs of the door opening of said freight car, link members disposed in opposed relation with respect to each other and having jaws at the out-er ends thereof adapted to bear against said rod members a bracing bar having openings in opposite end portions through which said rod members are extended to permit slidable movement of said bracing bar with respect to said rod members bracing members on said bracing bar having roller elements bearing against said door a circular disc, means for pivotally connecting said disc to said bar, said disc having openings formed therein in diametrical relation, said link member having portions extending through said discs whereby movement imparted to said discs will move said jaws to and from bearing, en gagement with said rod members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EUGENE O. COVERST'ON. 

